


mediocre coffee

by svgawara



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, this was supposed to be soft but i love angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 21:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13109172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svgawara/pseuds/svgawara
Summary: It started when Frank had left potted flowers on her doorstep, note attached, asking her to meet him at the diner 15 minutes from her apartment.





	mediocre coffee

“I even made a fresh pot of coffee, just for you.”

Frank chuckled quietly to himself as he shrugged off his jacket. “That so?”

“I had second thoughts, but being Christmas and all, I thought I’d be nice.” Susanna winked as Karen slid into the booth, already eyeing the Christmas special dessert list.

“Hope you won’t be bringing any trouble into my diner again tonight.” Susanna shot Frank a knowing stare, recalling the last time the two of them had shown up and didn’t leave until an hour past closing.

Smirking as he took a sip of the coffee, Frank glanced across the table at Karen. “Can assure you that if anyone’s bringing trouble here tonight ma’am, it ain’t me.”

Karen squinted up at Frank from atop her menu, sending a playful kick to his shin from under the table.

“—hey!”

Susanna laughed, heading back to the cashier to ring up a customer, “Holler if you need me!”

///

It started when Frank had left potted flowers on her doorstep, note attached, asking her to meet him at the diner 15 minutes from her apartment. Part of her questioned whether or not she should show up—they had been in contact here and there over the past few months, but it had been weeks since the last time they had bumped into one another. He usually stopped by to check up on how she was doing, engage in small talk over a beer or two, but typically nothing more than that. This time felt different, though. There was a hint of urgency, a kind of excitement and danger that Karen knew they both should be staying away from. But, as always, curiosity won her over.

They met every Friday evening at 7PM sharp, attempting to piece together an uncompleted puzzle over mediocre coffee and shitty bacon and eggs. What initially started as a method to exchange information on one of the new drug cartels in Hell’s Kitchen eventually became less and less of that once each member of the cartel had either been killed or arrested. But now that the case was closed, they didn’t have much of a reason anymore to continue meeting up at the diner. Although it hadn’t been explicitly stated, to their knowledge, they assumed they would both go off their separate ways and continue on with their lives. Maybe they would cross paths again, but there most definitely hadn’t been any intention or reason to continue whatever this was. 

Subconsciously, Karen found herself rushing over to the diner one evening, well past 7PM as a result of having been held up at the office. It was unlike her to show up late to their meetings—she was punctual by nature, which was something that someone as on high-alert as Frank was greatly appreciated. However, it hadn’t crossed her mind that this was the first Friday since they’d finished working on locating where the next, and evidently last, drug bust would occur. She wouldn’t admit to herself that she had secretly been looking forward to this all week long. 

Pushing open the entrance, Karen was hit with a welcoming wave of heat and the scent of canola cooking oil. The rundown diner was far from fancy, most likely hadn’t had a health inspection within the last few years, and probably should have been avoided at all costs, but it held a special place in Karen’s heart. There was something about the worn-in booths and eye-sore paint job that comforted her. However, she never stopped to consider that maybe it wasn’t the diner that she found comforting. Maybe, it was Frank.

The diner was unusually busy for a Friday evening, with nearly every table filled. Unwrapping the scarf from around her neck, Karen eyed the back corner of the room to the table where they always sat at, far away from most of the other tables, but close enough to an exit if they needed to use it, according to Frank. Only this time, their table had been occupied by a group of teenagers, yapping away about this and that over cheap milkshakes. 

And then it hits her. Whatever _this_ was, was only temporary. All the digging into they had done on the drug cartel had been completed, and there wasn’t any need to continue seeing each other afterwards. Maybe in another life, under different circumstances, things would have been different. But not here.

“Table for one, ma’am?”

Karen shook her head as she corrected the waitress, “Actually, I was just lea—” 

And then she spots him from her peripheral, stepping out from behind her.

“Table for two, if you could.” 

///

It most definitely wasn’t how Karen had expected to spend her Christmas. Although Foggy and Marci had invited her out to go drinking with them, Karen politely declined, claiming that she already had plans to go out with coworkers from The Bulletin. In reality, it had been a lie—though a bit sad that she actually hadn’t been invited out by any of her friends, she more or less was glad to use it as an excuse to not be a third-wheel. She tried to convince herself that spending Christmas alone this year, just like the past five, would actually be worthwhile. She had decorated her apartment, put up a small Christmas tree, and even splurged on a case of her favorite beer. None of that cheap crap, not tonight. There was nothing shameful in spending the holidays alone—she’d grown so used to it by this point that Christmas was merely just another day.

She was halfway through her second beer, lounging in her pajamas when he knocked on the door.

Unhatching the lock after realizing that it was him, Karen held the door open. “Jesus, Frank. You scared the shit out of me.” Karen left the door ajar, signaling the open invitation, as she walked across the room to set her beer down on the counter. “Are you okay?”

When he didn’t answer, she turned back to face him. She hadn’t really looked at him, aside from stealing a quick glance through the peephole, but he was clearly winded.

“I, uh, just was...” Frank rubbed the back of his head with his hand, struggling to catch his breath. He typically didn’t show up to her place, especially unannounced and this late at night. Karen furrowed her eyebrows, still struggling to comprehend what was going on.

“Hey, slow down, you’re scaring me here. Is everything alright?”

He blinked a few times, swallowing and attempting to calm himself down.

“It’s...uh, it’s Friday, Karen.”

“Oh my god.” Karen covered her mouth with her hand, trying to piece together how she could have forgotten when it all of a sudden hits her. She had always looked forward to Friday evenings, knowing that she’d at least be in good company at the diner, attempting to shed light on a seemingly impossible case. But from wallowing in self-pity over the fact that she would, like every year, be alone on Christmas night, she’d subconsciously ignored the day altogether, hoping that she’d drown herself in enough alcohol to forget how lonely she actually was.

“Guess I just got a little worried, yeah? I mean, shit, I should have assumed you would have plans. But...it just, it got later and later, and my mind started racing, you know?” A soft chuckle escaped under Frank’s breath, but they both knew it wasn’t a laughing matter. “I’m...I’m sorry if I’m, uh, intruding on you like this.”

“No, no, shit. I’m sorry, I completely forgot.” Karen ran her hands through her hair, trying to take everything in. “I’m not doing anything tonight, actually.”

Frank nodded, stealing a glance at Karen’s pajamas and neglected beer on the countertop. “Well, you coulda’ fooled me.”

A pink blush rose to Karen’s cheeks as she quickly turned to the fridge to grab an extra beer. “Very funny.” 

Frank took ahold of the bottle, hand lightly brushing up against Karen’s. “Thanks, for this.” Glancing around the room, he took in the blinking fairy lights and sparkling ornaments encircling the Christmas tree. “You do all this?”

“Best believe it.” Karen plopped down on the couch, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table. “You’re the first person to actually see it in all its glory, too.”

Frank snickered as he sunk into the cushion next to her. “C’mon, cut the shit, Page.” But when she didn’t laugh along with him, he realized she wasn’t joking around.

“It’s nice, Karen.”

“Think it’s about time _you_ cut the shit.” Karen smirked as she took another sip from her beer that was nearing its end.

“Really. Kinda reminds me of how Maria and the kids would decorate the house for the holidays. Tree was a little bit bigger, yeah, maybe we had a couple more stockings and the fireplace going. Lisa and Frank Jr. used to always bug the shit outta me to help them with putting tinsel on the back of the tree, around the places they couldn’t quite reach. Drove me up the fucking wall.” Frank laughed, and for once, it didn’t seem like a story that was overshadowed with the grief of their deaths like it so constantly was. Nostalgia rang through his voice, and he seemed happy as he reflected on the memory.

“Christmas was huge in our house, mainly cause I was able to make it back home in time. Usually missed their birthdays and occasionally Thanksgiving, but always made it home for Christmas. Kids used to eat that shit up, yeah, they knew daddy was coming home with all the coolest gifts.” Frank grinned, fiddling with the neck of the beer bottle. “What about you?”

Karen propped her elbow on the arm of the sofa, scratching her head as she watched the Christmas lights flicker on and off. “Christmas was never a really big deal in my family. We lived in a pretty small town in Vermont—they used to have this really tiny Christmas parade, though, where rows of houses would go all out and decorate to the nines. My younger brother Kevin and I used to go together with some of the kids from down the block, throwing snowballs at one another and running home to homemade hot chocolate.” 

“Yeah?” A small smile spanned across Frank’s face as he listened eagerly. Karen hardly ever shared anything about herself to him, so it was a rare occurrence for him to be able to learn something new.

“We grew out of it, of course, but it was one of my favorite memories growing up.” Karen scratched at the label of the beer bottle, tears threatening to form. She thought about telling Frank about Kevin’s death—this was most definitely not the first time the thought crossed her mind—but she pushed it away. There would be a time and place when she would be ready for that, but tonight wasn’t it.

As Frank rose from his seat, he grabbed Karen’s empty bottle to place into the trash. “Sorry I, uh, didn’t really show up with a Christmas gift or anything tonight.” 

Karen laughed from the couch, “Come on, you know I wouldn’t expect that, Frank.”

“Yeah, yeah. I was thinking we could...maybe go out for a bite to eat or something, if you’re hungry?”

Karen’s eye flickered, enticed by the idea of not spending her Christmas night alone. “Dunno, I’m just so busy…” Frank rolled his eyes and she smiled, heading to her bedroom. “Let me get changed and we can go.”

///

“ _Shit._ ”

Karen eyed the enormous slice of cinnamon apple pie in front of her, topped with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream. She swore remembering the picture on the menu to have looked much, _much_ smaller, but maybe her eyes had been bigger than her stomach. Frank laughed as he took a drink of his now-lukewarm coffee, wishing he could take a snapshot of the regret on Karen’s face.

“Frank…”

“No.”

“Oh, c’mon.”

“Y’know, I’m not really a pie kinda guy.”

“Bullshit.”

Frank stared at the slice in front of them, knowing damn well that he shouldn’t have any, but he couldn’t resist her ridiculous puppy-dog eyes.

“Fine.”

///

It was well past 2AM by the time they left the diner, Susanna begging them to leave, but satisfied by the generous tip they had left her as a Christmas present.

As they reached Karen’s apartment, street lights flickering from above, they both knew it was time to go, but neither wanted to say it. They stood outside Karen’s door, both refusing to look at one another.

“When will I see you again?”

Frank stared as his feet, a small smile creeping across his face. “Soon. If you’d like.”

Karen nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. “Yeah, I’d like that.” As she stepped closer to Frank, she planted a quick kiss on the side of his cheek before looking away bashfully.

“Thank you, for tonight.” 

The night felt as if it were shifting into slow motion as Frank stared at Karen, drinking in every detail. The snowflakes beginning to fall and melt onto her wool pea coat, the soft hum of the lamppost nearby, and the drum of his heartbeat—deafeningly loud to the point where he wondered if she could hear it too. He studied her, contemplating on making the first move, but knew the moment wasn’t right.

Instead, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, savoring the moment as he breathed her in.

“Merry Christmas, Karen.”

“Merry Christmas, Frank.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is my 3rd kastle fic this week and i'm not even ashamed (ok maybe just a little).
> 
> so i was thinking about the diner scene from DD S2 and got inspired by the holiday season, i guess? fun fact, i used the same name for the waitress (susanna), but it's more up to the reader if they want to decide if frank and karen are returning to the same diner or not. personally, i wrote this with a new diner in mind (the original diner holds importance and growth to their characters, but i'm not sure if that's the best place frank would bring karen back to considering the events that went down there lol). but of course, that's up to the reader to decide! i only kept susanna because i loved her and also was too lazy to come up with a new waitress name.
> 
> please feel free to leave kudos and comments, i love hearing what you all have to say! as always, thank you for reading!! merry christmas and happy holidays :)
> 
> find me on:  
> twitter: @svgawaraa  
> tumblr: @r-edesignme


End file.
